Dr. Richards posted 3 Terminix blogs this week, one of which is on the use of insects in forensic entomology.  Information about insect succession is used by investigators in criminal investigations in determining the time of death and/or the transport of the body prior to discovery, which makes forensic entomology useful for this purpose.  Dr. Richards described the connection between flies and decomposition, the types of flies that feed on tissues, and other organisms (e.g. beetles) used in forensic entomology.  In relation to environmental health, she also explained how forensic entomology can be used to investigate cases wherein food products are contaminated with insects and insect debris (e.g. fly maggots in meat served in restaurants, insects in prepared salad bags sold in grocery stores, insect debris in cereal boxes), which are issues that can a threat to public health.

Read the full blog at: How are Insects Used in Forensic Entomology?